The Lambs: Part 1 (4/10)
by Lamia (AKA so kiss me goodbye) 

Rating: PG-13 (violence, strong language)
Category: S 
Spoilers: Seasons 1-9, Fight the Future 
Keywords: William; Colonization 
Summary: Liam van de Kamp's life changes the day two 
FBI agents kidnap him and his parents.

Author's Note: The Lambs is a three-part story (with prologue).


Chapter 4 

August 10, 2011 
Wamsutter 
Wyoming 

In sleep the doctor looked like a nice lady. Long 
lashes rested against pale cheeks; her mouth curved up, 
soft and kind. 

She looked peaceful and Liam was glad. His own sleep 
had been pitiful as he twisted under his sheet. Kept 
awake by a powerful feeling: shame. 

Now he hovered at her bedroom door, peeking in on her 
as she lay curled. He had to apologize. He would have 
done it the night before, but Mr. Mulder had hurried 
them back to their room. 

His mother had argued, pleading to stay with Dr. Scully, 
but Mr. Mulder insisted. 

He followed them and watched them get into bed before 
shutting them in darkness. Liam heard shuffling and 
scraping as if something large was being shoved against 
the door. 

The sound of deep breathing rattled from the corner. 
Liam's dad muttered something unintelligible, then 
grunted into awareness. "What's going on?" 

Liam's mother was incredulous. "How on earth did you 
sleep through all that?" 

"I fell asleep?" Liam's dad sounded annoyed. "What's 
happening?" 

"I think Dr. Scully's having a breakdown. She mutilated 
herself, Harry - scraped the skin clean off her own 
neck. She says she used her own crucifix to do it." 

"What in heaven's name did she do that for?" 

"That's more than I could tell you. She must have 
slipped outside - Mulder was angry when she came in. 
Wherever she was, she thought she was being followed. 
Being tracked." 

Liam stiffened; Dr. Scully's actions were starting to 
make sense. 

"Harry?" Her hesitancy carried her concern. "She wasn't 
faking that terror." 

*So that's terror.* It wasn't the same look little kids 
got at school when Snake cowed them into a corner for 
lunch time sport. 

Liam's dad didn't sound convinced. "Paranoia, do you 
think? Could she be seriously ill?" 

Liam scrambled upright; his mother had missed the most 
important detail. 

"Dad, she saved Jerry. She went back to get him." 

That got his dad thinking. "That may be so, Liam, but 
there are some kinds of sick people who are very nice 
but sometimes really dangerous as well. The best place 
for Dr. Scully might actually be the hospital." 

"But what about Mr. Mulder? He's her friend. Wouldn't he 
take her to the hospital if she needed it?" 

Bedding rustled. "Hush, Liam," his mother said. "If 
you're going to talk, keep your voice low." "It's 
possible both of them are unwell, Liam." His dad was 
trying to be the voice of reason. "His story today 
sounded as paranoid as her behavior tonight. As for his 
so-called job with the FBI ... I'm not convinced our 
government would consider the policing of fairies and 
vampires a legitimate use of taxpayer dollars." 

Liam felt a peculiar need to defend the pair, but his 
dad had a point. 

Mr. van de Kamp put a final stamp on the subject. "They 
were both very convincing, but if they *are* sick, that 
makes them unpredictable - and *that* makes them 
dangerous. We have no way of knowing what they're going 
to do next. That puts us all at risk." 

Liam stared up into a black as impenetrable as his 
thoughts. So many swirled in his head he didn't know 
how to untangle them. Two things could be true: Dr. 
Scully was deluded, insane. Or her fears were real. 

*But either way, they are real - real to Dr. Scully, at 
least. And if they are real ...* 

His stomach somersaulted. "What about the soldiers Mr. 
Mulder talked about? What if they *are* after them?" 

"It's possible people are looking for them, Liam," his 
dad said. "If they're sick, hospital staff or police 
could be searching for them. They may believe those 
people want to hurt them. That doesn't mean those 
people want to hurt us. 

"In fact, they're probably looking for us right now. If 
someone *did* burn our house down, the fire chief in 
Tessa will be wanting to know where we are. Stan will 
know something is wrong. Think very carefully, Liam. 
Did Dr. Scully do anything to start a fire while she and 
you were inside?" *Her hand had been shaking. She was 
so quiet. She never looked up.* 

They weren't in the house much longer than his parents. 
She had walked behind him so closely he had imagined 
the nuzzle of the gun against his shoulder blades. 

"There wasn't any time." 

It was hard to believe Dr. Scully had pulled the gun on 
him less than a day ago. He didn't like what she had 
done and had punished her for it all day. 

*Why did she let me?* 

"Dad, what about the plates on their car? Did they 
drive all the way from Virginia just to visit us?" That 
didn't make sense. He wanted his father to explain away 
those details. 

"I can't account for that." Liam's dad sounded 
troubled. 

His mom stirred. "Account or no, Harry, we need a plan. 
We need help and *they* need help." "Marie, I want to 
make a run for it. It'd be a risk, but I really don't 
think they'd hurt you or Liam. Hell. I'm not even sure 
they'd hurt me." 

Liam held his breath. It was easy to laugh her story 
off, but when it came to taking action against her ... 
if Dr. Scully was telling the truth ... if his father 
went outside and got caught ... "If I timed it right, I 
could get to a phone before they knew what was 
happening." 

His mom sighed. "Get to what phone? Not the one in this 
house. I noticed only one jack in the kitchen, and the 
phone was very definitely missing." 

"It won't take me long to find one somewhere in this 
town. I'll head back to the gas station if I have to. 
Once I get away, it won't take long to get there. Heck! 
What are we doing waiting? We could probably just walk 
out if he's dealing with her." 

They were alone in the bedroom - which had a window - 
and Mr. Mulder was not in here with them. 

*Why are we only just thinking of this now?* 

They weren't convinced by Mr. Mulder's story; there were 
no alien soldiers hunting them; there would be a 
rational explanation for everything that had happened 
today; there was no reason to stay with Mr. Mulder and 
Dr. Scully; there was no reason not to try escaping. 

The bed springs squeaked again followed by feet on the 
floor. Liam winced when he heard a thump - his dad 
stubbing a toe on a dresser probably. 

Stripes of light flooded in from the hall. Getting out 
was not going to be a quick or quiet affair. Mr. Mulder 
had imprisoned them with a tall bookshelf, its ledges 
forming bars. They could try pushing it aside, but the 
easiest thing to do would be to shove books off a shelf 
and squeeze through the gap. It wouldn't be difficult - 
just noisy. 

Liam's dad left the door ajar and made his way to the 
only window in the room. 

"The opening's too high up and too narrow for me to get 
through, although Liam might be able to if we gave him 
a boost -" 

He cut off when they heard a creak in the hall; Liam 
heard the whoosh of blankets being lifted and guessed 
his dad had dived back into bed. There was some 
scraping and shuffling, and the bookshelf shadows 
shuddered. 

Liam pretended to be asleep when Mr. Mulder entered. A 
heavy tread made the floorboards at the foot of his 
mattress bounce. A wooden chair next to the dresser 
groaned. 

Neither of his parents said anything; his dad snored 
theatrically. 

These irritating silences had been going on all day, 
and Liam was sick of them. Mr. Mulder had to know they 
had been talking. His parents' fake sleeping wasn't 
fooling anyone. Besides, he was dying to ask a 
question. 

"Mr. Mulder?" 

Liam heard his mother breath in. His heartbeat was loud 
in his ears. 

A voice came from the dark. "Yes?" 

"Is Dr. Scully okay?" 

"She will be." 

"Why did she cut her neck?" 

Nothing. 

"Mr. Mulder?" 

"It's a *very* long story, kid, and not mine to tell." 

*One, two, three, four, five.* "Mr. Mulder?" 

"Yes?" 

"Did she have an alien implant in her neck?" 

"Liam!" His mother couldn't help her outburst. 

"Why do you ask that?" Mr. Mulder's question was slow 
and careful. Curious. 

"You mentioned aliens, and everyone knows aliens kidnap 
people and put things in them. They have shows on TV 
about it all the time. Mr. Mulder?" 

Mr. Mulder muttered something rude about Fox TV. "Yes?" 

Liam pressed on. "Did aliens kidnap Dr. Scully?" 

He bit his thumbnail waiting for someone to snap. The 
long quiet made him think Mr. Mulder wasn't going to say 
anything, but perhaps the man had only been trying to 
work out how to answer. 

"Maybe you should ask *her* that, Liam." 

That was too much for Liam's mother. 

"You'll do nothing of the sort, young man," she said. 
"Please don't encourage him, Mr. Mulder. Liam knows very 
well such a question would be rude to the extreme. Dr. 
Scully looks as if she could do without the annoyance." 

"I don't think Scully would be offended, Mrs. van de 
Kamp." 

"Be that as it may, Mr. Mulder, I'm raising my son to 
respect personal boundaries. Asking Dr. Scully if she's 
been abducted by aliens doesn't just overstep those 
personal boundaries - it steamrollers them." 

"I'm sorry." Liam believed Mr. Mulder's sincerity. "He's 
your son. I don't want to interfere." 

Liam thought that might be the end of the conversation, 
so he was surprised when Mr. Mulder continued. "He's got 
a good mind though - inquisitive and perceptive - I 
hope he can make the most of those talents." 

"He *does* have a good mind, Mr. Mulder. And he should 
know when that inquisitiveness is appropriate or not." 

She was pulling the door shut on this conversation. The 
chair scraped against the floor again, but Mr. Mulder 
had nothing more to say. 

The repetitive ticking of a clock wormed its way into 
Liam's ear. A quick click, followed by another, told 
him Mr. Mulder had just checked his cellphone. Somewhere 
a dog barked once. A car rolled by, its wheels rasping 
on the road. The sound disappeared into the night as 
fast as it came. A sudden breath of wind shook the 
trees. The dog barked again. Twice Mr. Mulder rose and 
edged to the window. 

Each disturbance teased Liam out of fitful sleep. He 
was stuck with one image in his head: fingerprints 
dried on the yellow cup. 

Without giving him a clue, Dr. Scully had snuck out to 
rescue the tadpole. And whatever the truth about Mr. 
Mulder and Dr. Scully was - whether they were being 
chased by supersoldiers or mental hospital staff - she 
had done it despite the risks she thought she faced. 

She'd had no reason to do it. She *didn't owe me 
anything.* 

She hadn't deserved his rudeness the day before. *If* 
she was sick, perhaps she couldn't be blamed for her 
actions. *If* she was sick, he wished there was 
something he could do for her. Frustration infected 
whatever sleep he did get. Frustration and shame. 

-o0o- 

He woke with his mother's hands on his shoulders and 
the piercing beeps of an alarm shredding the stillness; 
his head was full of sand. The room was still dark. 

"Come on, Lee. Time to get up." 

The hinges of the door squeaked, and the doorway glowed 
golden from the hall light. Their bookshelf bars were 
gone. 

Sitting up, Liam stretched and yawned. "What time is 
it, Mom?" 

His mother handed him his t-shirt and shorts. "A little 
after four. Mr. Mulder wants us to move now. Get 
dressed, then go wait with Dad." 

Liam pulled on his rumpled clothes. His dad was already 
in the living room, pouring milk from a jug into a bowl 
of a cereal. 

"You okay this morning, champ?" Liam nodded, and his 
dad leaned close. "Liam, I'm going to try to escape as 
soon as I get a chance. I want you to stay with your 
mom no matter what happens, okay?" 

A finger to his lips warned Liam. Mr. Mulder walked into 
the room. He didn't appear to notice anything untoward. 

There had been no time last night for anything other 
than a cursory glance to assure himself Jerry really 
was fine. Now, even though the room was only half lit 
by a corner lamp, Liam could see well enough to check 
on his amphibian friend. 

Jerry hadn't sprung a leg yet. He seemed content 
enough, but Liam knew the tadpole would only survive a 
short time in his temporary home. At the least he would 
need more pond scum nutrients for food. 

Liam scarfed down the sugary cereal while wondering how 
he could satisfy the demands of a growing frog. He left 
the plate on the coffee table (he wasn't keen on the 
idea of doing dishes) and asked to go to the bathroom. 
On his way he passed the second bedroom. He stopped. 
She looked so small. 

Liam stepped closer, hoping her eyes would spring open 
so that he could go in and get his apology out of the 
way. Arms behind his back, he rubbed a carpet edge with 
his big toe. She didn't wake. When he returned from the 
bathroom, no one had yet made any effort to wake her. 
He hovered, wondering if he should nudge her himself. 

It would be a shame. 

In sleep the doctor was calm. Last night her face had 
been haunted. Sleep soothed away that terrible 
expression, leaving her in a more gentle state. 

His mother appeared at his side. 

"Liam, what are you doing? Can you go wait with your 
father, please?" 

While he didn't argue, he did ask, "Is the doctor 
coming with us today?" 

"Mr. Mulder's asked me to rouse her now," she said. "He 
wants you in the living room." 

With one last regretful look at the tiny figure in the 
bed, Liam slipped past his mother. 

For once his dad and Mr. Mulder were talking freely. As 
Liam had discovered yesterday, Mr. Mulder had no problem 
discussing neutral topics with his captives - in this 
case, the nutritional values on the back of the cereal 
box. When they had finished agreeing about the 
quantities of "junk" additives in common cereals, 
Liam's dad broached riskier territory. 

"You were going to explain what you meant by 
'recruiting' me." 

Mr. Mulder flicked a brief look at Liam. 

"The more able-bodied people we can recruit to the 
cause, the better chance we give ourselves," he said. 
"Actually, the more people I can convince, the more 
chance we have of *some* chance. If you do no more than 
believe me, Mr. van de Kamp, I'll be a happy man." 
Liam's dad rubbed his chin. "You can imagine how this 
looks to me. You haven't exactly helped your cause by 
kidnapping us." 

"What would you have preferred I do? Take your family, 
leave you? Leave you all?" 

Their conversation was interrupted by Liam's mother 
leading in Dr. Scully. 

Mr. Mulder's eyes sought the doctor. So caught up by his 
concern, he missed the triumphant grin Liam's mother 
gave his father. She patted a pocket on her pants. Liam 
made out a small, rectangular shape. *Dr. Scully's 
cellphone?* 

"I'm fine, Mulder," Dr. Scully replied to a question 
Liam didn't catch. Her mouth crimped as she surveyed 
her breakfast options. While she chewed slowly, Mulder 
spoke. 

"We have to assume we've got people on our tail. Scully 
thinks she managed to evade trouble last night. But 
there's no guarantee they're not out there waiting for 
us to get on the road. "Early shift workers will be 
heading out to the gas fields shortly. We'll be mixing 
with that traffic. Scully - you, Mrs. van de Kamp, and 
Liam will have to stay hidden. When - and only when - I 
believe the road is clear, we'll continue east for a 
bit. I can't risk telling you anymore than that. But I 
think you should know something; there are more people 
than just Scully or myself concerned about your welfare 
-" 

"Right. Your Washington friends." Liam's dad was 
doubtful. 

Mr. Mulder nodded. 

"Our ultimate aim is to get you to a safe haven where 
other at-risk citizens have been relocated. By the end 
of this day you won't be alone - and you should have 
access to more answers than I can give you at the 
moment. I can't tell you where that safe haven is. I 
don't know. I won't know until it's been determined we 
can approach without giving away its location." 

They had more questions but knew he would not tell them 
what they really wanted to know. The house was 
straightened (Liam didn't do dishes but he did have to 
help move the mattress back and put his used sheets in 
a laundry hamper). The van de Kamps had brought nothing 
with them; once the house was back to a standard which 
pleased his mother (and Dr. Scully), the family had 
little to do but wait for Mr. Mulder to give the word. 

Dr. Scully sat with them in the living room. Her long 
hair covered the Band Aid on her neck. She had answered 
Liam's mother's polite inquiries into her well-being 
but seemed preoccupied with the abstract pattern of the 
house's threadbare carpet. 

Liam knew there would be no better time for a peace 
overture. Clutching Jerry's cup to his chest, he stood 
before her. 

"Dr. Scully?" 

Something sparked in her sad eyes when she looked at 
him. 

"Thank you for rescuing Jerry. You didn't have to but 
you did and you hurt your neck ..." He faltered, 
uncertain if this was the right tack to take. His words 
fell out in a garbled mess. "You - I was rude to you. 
I'm sorry." 

The change on her face was swift, like a sped-up 
sunrise; her eyes - so intensely blue - ignited; a 
smile radiated on him. 

"Liam -" She might have said more but for Mr. Mulder 
calling them all to the kitchen. 

They trooped out together, with Mr. Mulder directing 
them on to the garage. Mrs. van de Kamp lingered by the 
kitchen counter. Liam couldn't define her expression. 

"Shouldn't we leave a note? Something to explain the 
situation? I know breaking in wasn't exactly my choice 
but I do feel bad about the liberty we've taken with 
someone else's property ..." 

Mr. Mulder didn't sneer at her or laugh off her 
suggestion, even though he had no intention of allowing 
her to leave anything. 

"None of this should be on your conscience, Mrs. van de 
Kamp. As far as you're concerned, you were forced to 
stay here. If it'll make you feel better, send the 
occupants a letter one day - but I can't afford to let 
you leave a note." 

"Why not?" Mr. van de Kamp stormed in, with a rather 
frazzled Dr. Scully in tow, the gun back in her hand. 
"You're leaving your car!" 

"Harry?" Liam's mother said, her eyebrows raised. 

"They're taking a vehicle from the garage," he said. 
"They've got a perfectly good vehicle of their own but 
they're stealing someone else's. Is there any law you 
don't intend breaking, Mr. Mulder?" 

"It's just too dangerous, Mr. van de Kamp. By now, 
they'll know what car we've been driving. Anyway, the 
SUV should give you a bit more leg room." 

Stony faced, Mr. van de Kamp brushed past Dr. Scully, 
marching off to the garage. If Liam's father was still 
planning to escape, now would be the ideal time. 

*Has Dad changed his mind?* Now that they had the 
cellphone all they needed was a chance to use it. Maybe 
his dad thought running off would be too risky. 

The vehicle was cool when Liam climbed onto the back 
seat. The upholstery was cold against his legs, and he 
wrapped his arms around them to keep from breaking into 
goosebumps. There was a musty smell in the SUV. 

The engine mocked their furtive getaway. 

Before turning on the headlights, Mr. Mulder reversed 
and waited until the road was clear to pull out. 
Despite the early hour, Liam could see lights far ahead 
of them: the early shift workers Mr. Mulder had been 
talking about. The lights were all headed in one 
direction, and when their vehicle merged with the main 
traffic, he wondered how anyone would be able to pick 
them out. 

"Scully, make sure they keep down," Mr. Mulder said over 
his shoulder. "We can't risk attracting attention." 

Dr. Scully insisted Liam and his mother lean forward as 
she was doing. A blanket had been draped across the 
seat. She pulled it over them. It wasn't comfortable, 
and Liam sneezed before he could ask how long they 
would have to stay crouched over. 

After more than twenty minutes stooped over their 
knees, Mr. Mulder told them it was safe to emerge. 

The whole experience had been disorienting. Unable to 
see where they were going, Liam had lost his sense of 
direction. It was still too dark to tell what the 
scenery was like. *Probably more desert.* 

The adrenaline of his early morning start was beginning 
to wear off and his mother hugged him close. 

"Tired, Lee?" 

"A little." He wasn't the only one. Dr. Scully had once 
again curled into a corner, keeping herself as distant 
from Liam and his mother as possible. She didn't take 
her gaze off Mr. Mulder. After he'd corrected the wheel 
for the third time in five minutes, she took action. 

"Mulder, pull over. You're in no state to drive." 

"Scully, you don't know -" 

She snapped. "Then tell me - tell me where we're 
going." 

Mr. Mulder did as he was told; the SUV slowed up. They 
wasted no time exchanging positions. Dr. Scully adjusted 
the seat and the mirrors. Satisfied, she put her foot 
down. 

"Keep going straight. I'll get more instructions when 
we get to Jeffrey City," Mr. Mulder said. 

"You'll get instructions?" 

Mr. Mulder twitched. 

"Mulder?" There was an edge to Dr. Scully's voice. 

"Just stick to this road, Scully. It's the safest route 
we've got." 

"How do you know it's the safest route? I thought the 
plan was to keep heading east?" 

"The plan's changed, Scully. It'll be better this way." 

"Skinner hasn't -" 

"Skinner doesn't know," he said. 

"Then who -" She clamped shut. The van de Kamp family 
was hanging on every word. The finer details may have 
escaped them, but the undercurrents of anger were 
impossible to miss. Liam bet Dr. Scully was seething. 
Yesterday it would have made him laugh. Now he felt her 
frustration. So ... Mr. Mulder wasn't telling her 
everything either. Did that mean he didn't completely 
trust her? 

Driving duties relinquished, Mr. Mulder asked if he 
could take up some of Liam's (free) leg room. He 
stretched out and closed his eyes. 

When another ten minutes had passed, Mrs. van de Kamp 
motioned Liam to nudge Mr. Mulder. Liam knocked his leg 
with a fist, pretending to squirm on the seat. Mr. 
Mulder's eyes remained shut. Liam's mom reached into 
the pocket with the cellphone. 

Fearful lest his mother's daring be discovered, Liam 
looked for a distraction. He found one in a small 
compartment between the front seats - old fashioned 
tapes. Half-expecting one of his parents to admonish 
him, he pulled one out. Its cover was missing. 

"Dr. Scully, could we listen to some music, please?" he 
asked, hoping his apology this morning had been enough 
to thaw their relationship and start mending some 
fences. 

"What have we got?" 

"I don't know. It's a mystery!" 

"Why not?" She held out her hand for the tape. 

He handed her the first one he'd taken. 

He didn't recognize the singer or the song. It sounded 
old. He kept hearing the word "revolution" over and 
over. 

Dr. Scully, however, must have known something about it. 
"How apt." 

Liam's mom timed opening the cellphone with the vibrant 
chorus. There was still no movement from Mr. Mulder, who 
appeared to be in a deep sleep. 

Liam's dad risked a look back at his family. With the 
cellphone hidden, tucked between Liam and herself, Mrs. 
van de Kamp keyed a number. 

"Not bad for modern music," Liam's dad said, directing 
the comment at Dr. Scully. "Do you know who this is?" 

Liam's plan to divert Dr. Scully worked. She laughed, 
and asked Liam's dad for his definition of modern 
music. 

Ducking her head, Liam's mom brought the phone up to 
her ear. She whispered so softly Liam could make out 
only basics: "Wamsutter" and "Jeffrey City," 
"kidnapped," "armed," and "SUV." 

When the song ended, his mother lifted her head, 
fearful, but Dr. Scully was still talking to Liam's dad, 
and Mr. Mulder was lightly snoring and hadn't opened his 
eyes. Mrs. van de Kamp didn't end the call; instead, she 
nestled the old fliptop phone - still open - next to 
her. 

She took a deep breath and straightened, smiling at 
Liam. "Now we wait, sweetheart," she said.